Advice for Newbies, From Formerly Fresh Faces

Fresh Faces
Compiled by Becky "Kovaks" Baron

Fall is when The Realms sees a great influx of new faces from the various colleges across New England. Since 2012, The View from Valehaven has periodically conducted interviews in our Fresh Faces series. One of the questions asked is "What advice would you give other new players?"

Here is part one of the compilation of advice from the previous Fresh Faces of the Realms to the newest generation:

Go to fight practices. NPC. Try and make friends with as many people as humanly possible. Don’t immediately join up with the first nation you meet. Don’t get discouraged when people don’t raise you right away, and conversely, don’t get discouraged when you die a lot. Keep the faith my newbie brethren! 

-- Katie "Effa" Smith (Thursday, March 22, 2012)

I think the best advice I can give is that if you want to be recognized and get into plot, you should take your character seriously. Obviously remember this is a game and you should have fun, but the more in character you get and the more you put forth the effort the more you will be noticed.

 -- Justin "Syroc" Pluff (Thursday, April 26, 2012)

Don’t be afraid to ask stupid questions! You’re going to need to know the answers eventually anyway. 

-- Samuel "Ezra" Teatum (Thursday, May 24, 2012)

Spare socks. Seriously. Also, bring a friend in with you when you begin. Two newbies going through the same experiences.Together double the fun and the surprise, and when all else fails, you'll always have each other to lean on (or to sit dead in the field with in the middle of the night). Also – remember the point of the game is to have fun; try many things, but do what you want to do. 

-- Carol “Charwindle” Eddy (Thursday, July 12, 2012)

If you have a question about anything don't be afraid to ask it because at one point or another every was a newbie and did not know things. 

-- Cody "Kirk" Garcia (Friday, August 10, 2012)

Always go in with an open mind and don't be afraid to try something different. I have seen many players, this year more than others, where players will enjoy the combat but don't even try to get involved with the role playing element of The Realms. Though combat is a large part of the game, by attending events and talking with other players and characters you learn so much and you get to hear of many exciting stories. You don't have to be the best fighter, the best caster, or the best role player, the important part of The Realms is to have fun while making new friends. 

-- Trevor "Vulpenard" King (Thursday, November 8, 2012)

RUN! Just kidding. Actually, I’d like to tell them to explore all that the Realms has to offer before settling down. In other words: wander around, talk to strangers, and learn about the various nations before you decide to stick with one of them. I, for one, have had a blast being an independent and wholeheartedly recommend it.  

-- Brittany "Ashara" Viens (Wednesday, January 9, 2013)

Get to know people. Other people are probably your greatest resource possible. The number of things you can learn from other people is unbelievable. I would also suggest attending a fight practice if there is one near you. 

-- David "Tirvanel" Rubenstein (Friday, February 8, 2013)

Not all important people LOOK important in realms. That Realms gives you what you put into it. Also extra  socks, duct tape, blankets, sunscreen and bug spray will earn you so many friend cookies.  

-- Conrad "Garharz" Barnes (Friday, August 23, 2013)

I would give two pieces of advice.

 #1 Don't be afraid to ask. About anything. I started off just asking as many questions that I deemed necessary to understand the situation at hand. Just by asking the question ""Is Spider OK by himself? Should we help him?"" I learned about Regeneration, Embrace Death, Heal Limb, and that Spider is always hungry all in the same conversation. In short, questions are very helpful, if you have one, ask it.

#2 Always call shots. Even as a spellcaster, you will be hit by weapons and you must be aware of what hits where at all times. For this reason alone fight practice is a must because it will get you in the habit of correctly calling shots. People will also respect you more if you call your shots correctly and this will help you in the long run.

 -- Michel "Jace" Venne (Friday, October 4, 2013)

Don’t be afraid to ask for help or clarification—a lot of people seem terrifying but are actually very nice. Don’t forget to think about what you’re doing with your feet and legs, not just your arms and torso, while fighting. 

-- Nataliya "Shader" Kostenko (Friday, February 7, 2014)

Practice.  Practices, practice; practices. At practices, practice.  Also practice. (I've used the word practice so many times in this section that I have achieved semantic satiation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantic_satiation)).  Practice. 

-- Ed "Tulli" Drummond (Friday, March 7, 2014)

Don’t be afraid to ask people for help, it may seem intimidating or daunting at first but someone will help you. Also learn to call shots, you’re playing a game and if you’re not calling shots it ruins the game for your opponent(s). 

-- Joseph "Luke John" Yang (Friday, March 21, 2014)

Don't be afraid to ask questions, and more than anything, don't be afraid to get involved! Events are the most fun when you jump in with both feet. Some cool stuff will happen to you if you stand around long enough, but if you really want the action, you have to make it happen for yourself. 

--  Madison "Luca" Cunha (Friday, April 4, 2014)

Look for the second part of this article to be published soon in The View from Valehaven!  As always, thanks for reading and we'll see you in the field!